源聚合

Комиссия по финансовым услугам (FSC) Южной Кореи планирует установить новые правила для криптобирж. Торговые площадки обяжут возмещать убытки клиентам даже при отсутствии вины самих бирж, сообщило издание The Korea Times со ссылкой на сотрудников ведомства.

Самую большую угрозу для биткоина в текущем рыночном цикле представляют затягивание процесса регулирования криптовалют в США и опасность, что бум искусственного интеллекта обернется лопнувшим пузырем, заявили аналитики компании Bitwise.

The cryptocurrency market has had a year filled with ups and downs, with most large-cap digital assets turning in mixed performances in 2025. After a rough start to the year, things started to look up for the price of Bitcoin in the second and third quarters, as it set multiple all-time highs across the six-month period.

However, the flagship cryptocurrency has largely struggled in the final months of 2025, looking set to end the year in the red. Interestingly, the latest on-chain data and historical patterns suggest that the price of Bitcoin might be set for a fairly stronger yearly close than expected.

No Negative Days Left In 2025, But 2026 Could Feature A Deep Correction 

On Saturday, December 6, Alphractal CEO and founder Joao Wedson took to the X platform to share what to expect from the Bitcoin price in the last days of 2025. According to the on-chain expert, the market leader is likely to close the year in a sideways price range.

The relevant metric here is the Yearly Accumulated Negative Days, which tracks market resilience by measuring the number of days in a year where an asset’s daily price candlestick closed in the red. 

According to historical data and patterns, Bitcoin typically witnesses an average of 170 days of negative price movement in a year. This mean figure or level provides insight into the stress threshold for the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market cap. 

When the number of negative days is approaching or exceeds this threshold of 170 days, as Bitcoin already has in 2025, the selling pressure in the market tends to wane as fatigue sets in among the bears. Wedson revealed that the premier cryptocurrency has already accumulated 171 negative days so far in 2025.

The on-chain expert noted that exceeding this threshold “strongly suggests” that the price of Bitcoin might not witness any more negative days in the final few weeks of 2025. Wedson said that if a deeper correction is imminent for the market leader, it will most likely happen in the next year.

However, as the Alphractal founder highlighted, the Bitcoin price is more likely to end the year within a consolidation range. Adding further credence to this postulation is the lack of market demand, as seen with reduced capital influx into spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds.

Bitcoin Price At A Glance

As of this writing, the price of BTC stands at around $89,397, reflecting a mere 0.3% drop in the past 24 hours. 

Председатель правления BitMine и сооснователь компании Fundstrat Том Ли (Tom Lee) заявил, что в ближайшие несколько месяцев у эфира есть шанс достигнуть $20 000.

Из-за падения цены биткоина у компаний, создавших большие запасы первой криптовалюты, некогда прибыльные бизнес-модели постепенно разрушаются. У подобных компаний есть три сценария развития, заявили аналитики компании Galaxy Research.

American multinational financial services company Western Union has unveiled a stablecoin strategy to expand its digital business and cross-border remittances. In particular, the money transfer firm is looking to launch a stablecoin card service targeted at nations with high inflation rates.

Western Union Stablecoin Agenda

Matthew Cagwin, chief financial officer and executive vice-president at Western Union, has shared various ideas the financial service giant holds around the adoption and potential offerings of stablecoins. These revelations were made in a presentation at the UBS Global Technology and AI conference on December 2, 2025. 

Notably, Cagwin acknowledges that Western Union views stablecoins as a significant opportunity to free the company’s cash flow for other purposes. Due to the instantaneous and predictable nature of these cryptocurrencies, the executive outlines a business model in which Western Union can settle transactions immediately, without needing to hold hundreds of millions of dollars for liquidity, as is typical in the traditional financial system.

Notably, Western Union also aims to offer a “stable card”, modeled on the prepaid card in the US but targeted at users in nations with high inflationary pressure. Cagwin explained the need for this product, referencing Argentina as an example. 

The CFO said:

… If you’re — I have a big workforce in Argentina. Can you imagine living in a country where last year, your inflation was 250%, 300%. We gave our employees 4 raises last year because if you didn’t, they made — they couldn’t afford their bills. So imagine a world where your family in the U.S. is sending you $500 home, but by the time you spend it in the next month, it’s only worth $300. So we can see a good utility for our stable card there,…

Cagwin also explains Western Union’s ongoing efforts to establish a digital asset network (DAN). Notably, the financial services firm has established partnerships with four service providers with the intent to offer on-ramp and off-ramp services to users from H1 2026, using the yellow wallets and agents, such as a big box store or check casher.

Western Union Eyes Stablecoin Launch

In addition to the stable card, Cagwin states that Western Union plans to launch a stablecoin, which they believe will scale easily, considering their present business network. In opting against onboarding existing stablecoins, Cagwin explains the firm’s goal of maintaining end-to-end of the proposed coin’s use, economics, and distribution operation.

At press time, the total crypto market cap is valued at $3.05 trillion, after a 0.37% gain in the last day. Meanwhile, total stablecoins are valued at $317.63 billion, representing 10% of circulating digital assets.

According to the latest on-chain data, BitMine viewed the latest market downturn as an opportunity to further increase its exposure to Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap. In two separate fresh buys, the Ethereum treasury firm expanded its holdings by over $199 million worth of Ether tokens.

BitMine Now Holds 3.08% Of Total Ether Supply

In a recent post on the social media platform X, blockchain data firm Lookonchain revealed that BitMine acquired $199 million worth of Ethereum in the past two days. This fresh round of accumulation included two separate buys; 41,946 ETH equivalent to $130.78 million on Friday, December 5 and 22,676 ETH worth $68.67 million on Saturday, December 6.

This latest acquisition spree brings the Ethereum treasury firm’s holdings to around $11.3 billion, solidifying its position as the world’s largest corporate Ether holder. With its continued accumulation of the largest altcoin over the past few months, BitMine now holds about 3.08% of the total Ether supply.

It is worth noting that BitMine’s aggression in the market comes while the hype around digital asset treasuries (DATs) have died down. While crypto asset acquisitions have slowed down among treasury companies, shareholders are losing significant amounts in value—as the market downturn continues to also affect crypto-related stocks.

However, BitMine’s general performance has been quite impressive, with the firm announcing its intention to pay crypto’s first-ever dividend to shareholders. What’s interesting is that the Ethereum treasury firm sits on a cash reserve of nearly $900 million, which could go into additional ETH purchases.

BitMine Buys The Dip While Ethereum Whales Take Profit

BitMine’s continued accumulation of Ether is a proof of its faith in the token’s long-term promise. However, this aggressive purchasing activity has somewhat been opposite to what the market trend is suggesting.

The Ethereum price is hovering around the $3,000 mark after a mild correction from its recent local high around $3,200. According to on-chain data, mid-sized whales (holding between 1,000 and 10,000 ETH) have kept significant selling pressure on the market.

Meanwhile, Alphractal also revealed that the large whales (with over 10,000 ETH) have remained much more in a neutral and calm state, showing only light distribution.

Whales are typically regarded as some of the most influential investors in the market, as their moves often give insights on a coin’s trajectory. While BitMine counts as a whale—due to its significant holdings, it is interesting to see the firm move in the opposite direction of other relevant market participants.

The narrative around XRP has definitively moved past the era of pure retail speculation. While the global financial system is accelerating its transition to real-time settlement, XRP is emerging as a contender for enterprise-level treasury flows. As Ripple’s institutional network continues to expand, the altcoin is stepping into a role where digital assets can enhance liquidity management and power the next generation of global value transfer.

Why RippleNet’s Expanding Network Drives Enterprise Confidence

The bearish view of XRP is clouding the bigger transformation happening behind the scenes. Analyst Xfinancebull has mentioned on X that XRP is embedding itself into the financial engines where global treasury systems teams move trillions. With the GTreasury acquisition, Ripple gains access to the operational layer where $12.5 trillion in enterprise liquidity flows.

This is about the altcoin becoming a native rail inside the financial command centers of over 1,000 multinational giants where trillions move. Treasury teams move real money, not just $100 payments, but payroll, supply chain financing, and liquidity management across continents. 

The XRP niche is that it moves trillions fast, 24/7, across borders. Meanwhile, Ripple now controls the infrastructure platform that interacts with BNY Mellon to move trillions and automates finance at scale.

According to Xfinancebull, the token goes from a speculative asset to invisible plumbing. This shift doesn’t make the front-page headlines, but it moves everything behind them. Most analysts won’t notice that this has unlocked the token to become a standard settlement rail in the GTreasury automation stack, making its utility broader, invisible, and massive.

Founder of Lux Lions NFT and host of the crypto Blitz YouTube show, RipBullWinkle, stated that the Federal Reserve has officially halted its Quantitative Tightening (QT) measures, ending the two-year liquidity drain that weighed down the entire crypto sector. 

Vanguard, the world’s second-largest asset manager with $11 trillion in AUM, has reversed course and will now allow clients to have access to the regulated crypto ETFs. This single move clears the path for trillions in passive capital, a macro environment of liquidity, compliance, and global settlement that XRP is engineered for. 

How XRP Defies The Market Slump With A Rare Positive Performance

While the crypto market has been struggling to find its footing, an observer and researcher of the current tech shift, SMQKE, has noted that WisdomTree data shows that XRP is the only major cryptocurrency posting positive year-to-date returns in 2025. On a year-to-date basis, where the broader markets were pulling back, the altcoin has stood out as the lone performer, holding onto a modest +4% gain year-to-date.

In a challenging year for most large-cap digital assets, it has emerged as the top-tier asset with a positive year-to-date performance. Even after experiencing drawdowns in line with the broader market during Q4, XRP has demonstrated remarkable relative resilience and remains up +4% YTD and +12% over the past 12 months.

A crypto analyst has predicted another devastating Bitcoin price crash that could see the leading cryptocurrency slide back below $85,000. With its weak performance over the past few months and price action showing signs of exhaustion, the analyst has predicted that the next major support level lies more than 33% below all-time highs. 

Analyst Breaks Down Chart Signaling Bitcoin Price Crash 

TradingView crypto expert ‘EliteGoldAnalysis’ has released a fresh chart study on Bitcoin’s next selling move, warning that the cryptocurrency’s downtrend may not be over yet. The analyst’s breakdown highlights a key support level he believes Bitcoin could crash to if its current downward momentum persists. 

EliteGoldAnalysis outlines a price structure on the chart that begins with a weak high, a technical condition that often reflects a liquidity grab before a reversal. The appearance of a weak high near the top of Bitcoin’s most recent rally indicates that buyers may have been swept out before the momentum fully shifted. This pattern is accompanied by a steadily forming lower high, hinting at a developing bearish structure. 

From his perspective, the analyst explains that a short bias becomes relevant only after a clear confirmation of a bearish trend. Based on the Bitcoin price chart, such confirmation could include a break of minor support beneath the weak high, followed by a retest of that level. EliteGoldAnalysis also noted that a bearish rejection through wick actions or a strong bearish close would strengthen the case for a temporary Bitcoin price crash. 

While the analyst’s breakdown is just an interpretation of the chart rather than a trading call, Bitcoin’s price structure still hints at a possible retracement amid strengthening sell-side pressure. 

How Low Bitcoin Price Could Decline 

In his TradingView chart, EliteGoldAnalysis outlined critical zones that could dictate Bitcoin’s next bearish moves. The first region to watch is the potential “target level” marked in the purple zone above $85,000. The analyst views this level as a demand or imbalance area. Should Bitcoin reach and hold this target, it may act as the first checkpoint before the market decides whether to correct downwards or push higher. 

Just beneath the $85,000 region lies a “strong support level” highlighted in blue at $84,000 on the chart. EliteGoldAnalysis predicts that Bitcoin could decline to as low as this $84,000 support area. The analyst suggests that this level is the final retracement target, potentially representing a significant liquidity pool that could attract buyers if the price declines. 

A decisive drop toward this level would reflect a more than 6% decline from current levels above $89,000. Such a move would also mark the completion of the downside move implied by the chart structure. Over the past 24 hours, the price of Bitcoin has fallen roughly 3%, meaning a crash to $84,000 would further prolong the ongoing downtrend.  

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

The Bitcoin market structure is believed to have undergone a massive shift since the significant price downturn seen on October 10, 2025. While the premier cryptocurrency has been on something resembling a recovery path since the market bloodbath, some sectors believe that the bear season has already kicked off.

With BTC sitting beneath its opening price of 2025, it is becoming increasingly difficult to make a bullish case for the world’s largest cryptocurrency. Moreover, an interesting data point about a relevant class of Bitcoin investors has emerged, further adding credence to the beginning of a possible bear market. 

Are Bitcoin Treasury Firms Offloading Their Coins?

In a new post on X, CryptoQuant’s Head of Research, Julio Moreno, shared an on-chain insight to support the hypothesis that the Bitcoin bear market has started. This conclusion is based on the Balance Growth of an investor group known as the “dolphins.”

Dolphins refer to a group of crypto investors holding substantial amounts of a coin, placing them between small investors (shrimps) and the largest investors (whales). Specifically, Moreno described dolphins as wallet addresses with significant BTC holdings between 100 – 1,000 coins. 

According to the latest data from CryptoQuant, the growth in the Dolphins’ BTC holdings has slowed down in the past year and appears to be in a downward trend. Moreno believes that this negative change points to the emergence of a Bitcoin bear market.

Moreno revealed that these Dolphin addresses had increased year-over-year by roughly 965,000 BTC when the BTC price hit its current all-time high around $125,000. Now that the BTC price is nearly 30% below its record high, the Bitcoin Dolphins’ balance stands at around 694,000 coins.

Moreno wrote on X:

This address cohort includes ETFs and Treasury companies, which have also stopped buying.

More interestingly, the CryptoQuant Head of Research revealed that this investor group consists of ETF issuers and Treasury companies, which have stopped purchasing Bitcoin. According to data from SoSoValue, the US-based Bitcoin exchange-traded funds have posted net outflows in five out of the last six weeks.

Meanwhile, BTC and crypto treasury companies have struggled in the past few months, with retail investors losing tens of billions to the hype. While there have been rarely reports of crypto treasury sell-offs, this decline in these Dolphins’ holdings tells an entirely different story.

Bitcoin Price At A Glance

As of this writing, the price of BTC stands at around $89,151, reflecting an over 3% decline in the past 24 hours.

According to remarks made at the Founders Summit, Fidelity’s chief executive Abigail Johnson offered a rare look at how the firm moved from curiosity to a full crypto business and why she keeps a personal stake in Bitcoin. The account ties early, small bets to later services now offered to advisors and clients.

Early Interest Turned Practical

Around 2013, a small group inside Fidelity began meeting to learn what Bitcoin might mean for the firm. They mapped out 52 possible uses. Most ideas did not survive testing. One early result — accepting Bitcoin donations for charity — gave the team credibility outside the company and opened doors for deeper work.

That early credibility made it easier for the firm to test bigger ideas without waiting for orders from the top.

A Bold Mining Bet Paid Off

Johnson pushed for a $200,000 purchase of Antminer hardware at a time many inside opposed the move. Reports say that mining effort became “probably the single highest IRR business” Fidelity has had.

The decision put staff into Bitcoin’s technical layers, giving them real experience with wallets, security, and the plumbing of the network long before many rivals caught up.

Company Moves Into Custody

Based on reports, demand from financial advisors drove Fidelity toward custody services. Advisors wanted secure ways to help clients hold and pass on Bitcoin, and Fidelity responded by building custody, custody-adjacent products, and support across asset management and research.

Johnson told the audience she owns Bitcoin personally and described it as a core digital asset that could play a role in people’s savings plans. She calls it crypto’s “gold standard.”

Exchange Supply Drops As Accumulation Continues

Market data referenced in the session showed Bitcoin trading above $89,000 while balances on centralized exchanges fell to roughly 1.8 million BTC — a level not seen since 2017, according to aggregated CryptoQuant and Glassnode figures cited by BRN Research.

Realized-cap growth stayed positive on a monthly basis, which analysts interpret as fresh capital entering the market even when price moves stay contained.

Shark Wallets And Network Growth For Ethereum

Reports also pointed to Ethereum strength. ETH climbed past $3,200 as so-called shark wallets holding between 1,000 and 10,000 ETH resumed accumulation.

Daily new addresses briefly neared 190,000 following the Fusaka upgrade, a spike that analysts say often lines up with stronger demand for ETH.

Market Signals And What’s Missing

Analysts quoted in the briefing noted that supply leaving exchanges and steady accumulation point to longer-term holders taking control. What the market lacks, they said, is a decisive push into the roughly $96K to $106K band that would signal a broader breakout. For now, accumulation continues while prices trade in a tighter range.

Based on reports from the conference, Fidelity’s crypto path reads like a slow build: small internal experiments grew into real operations, and a handful of early bets — including a $200,000 mining play — gave the firm practical know-how.

Combined with current on-chain signs of accumulation, the picture suggests established players and patient holders are shaping market supply even as price momentum waits for a clearer trigger.

Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

Розничным клиентам французской банковской группы Banque Populaire и Caisse d’Épargne (BPCE) станет доступна покупка-продажа биткоинов, эфира, Solana и стейблкоинов USDC. Входящий в четверку крупнейших банков Франции BPCE анонсировал запуск новой услуги с понедельника, 8 декабря.

According to the latest report, the lower house of Poland’s parliament has failed to overturn the President’s veto of the Crypto-Asset Market Act. Earlier this week, the Polish President, Karol Nawrocki, vetoed a bill aimed at setting strict rules in the country’s digital assets market.

Why Did The Polish President Veto The Digital Asset Bill?

On Friday, December 5, Bloomberg reported that the lower house of the Polish parliament couldn’t secure the required three-fifths majority vote to override the President’s veto of the Crypto-Asset Market Act. This bill, introduced in June 2025, aimed to align Poland with the European Union’s MiCA framework for the digital asset markets.

Related Reading: Key Updates On The US Crypto Market Structure Bill: What You Need To Know

However, President Nawrocki decided against signing the crypto market legislation due to concerns that it may pose a real threat to the freedom of Poles, their property, and the stability of the country. According to the country’s leader, “overregulation” is one way to drive away new companies and investors, while seriously slowing innovation.

As Bitcoinist earlier reported, the crypto community in Poland had already raised concerns about the regulation as early as September, especially as the bill surpassed the European Union (EU) minimum regulatory requirements. 

For instance, the bill’s messaging read that all Crypto Asset Service Providers are required to obtain a license from the Polish Financial Service Authority (KNF). Meanwhile, the bill proposed heavy fines and potential prison time for market participants who break the law.

According to the Bloomberg report, supporters of the bill have also voiced out the need to provide regulatory oversight of Poland’s digital assets industry. Their belief is that clear, comprehensive rules are critical to fight fraud and avoid potential misuse of digital assets by bad actors. 

Poland’s Presidency Calls Crypto Bill A Legal Fiasco

Rafael Leskiewicz, the press secretary of the President, took to the social media platform to react to the lawmakers’ failure to override the veto. The presidential spokesperson said the Crypto-Asset Market Act is a legal fiasco, while calling the attempt to overturn the president’s veto a political maneuver.

Leskiewicz said in a statement:

The President, by vetoing this act, exposed the low quality of the legislation being created. This market should be subject to monitoring and control, but certainly, bad law should not be created that restricts the freedom to conduct business activities.

President Nawrocki, who was elected earlier in June, had always portrayed himself as a pro-Bitcoin leader who would rather veto regulatory restrictions than create new digital asset laws. According to market data, the adoption of crypto assets by Polish households has continued to grow in recent years, with the number of domestic users expected to hit 7.9 million by this year’s end.

Bitcoin’s price action has been grossly dramatic throughout the year. After reaching its current all-time-high price of $126,000 in early October, the world’s leading cryptocurrency saw a rapid flip to the downside. Since reaching its October high, Bitcoin spiraled to as low as $80,500, a more than 15% negative deviation in reviewing year on year growth. 

As the market sentiment thus ostensibly leans bearish, an on-chain analysis has recently been published, proffering reasons to believe that the negative sentiment among investors could be growing stronger.

$91,000 Max Pain Point Breached After Friday Options Expiry

In a QuickTake post on CryptoQuant, crypto pundit GugaOnChain brings to light the expiry of about $3.4 billion in Bitcoin options. This expiration event, which took place on Friday, 5th December, is one that typically triggers a “gravitational force” which attracts price to itself. By extension, price tends to move towards a specific price level referred to as the Maximum Pain Point, where option buyers incur the greatest losses, and sellers realize the most profits.

In this scenario, the Maximum Pain Point stood at approximately $91,000. As such, the Bitcoin price saw a rapid decline towards this mark. However, by the end of the session, Bitcoin had already slipped beneath its “gravitational force,” reaching as low as $89,500, and entering a range that amplified its buyers’ losses, while also maximizing its sellers’ (market makers) gains.

Negative Funding Rate Further Strengthens Bearish Narrative

GugaOnChain also references readings from the Bitcoin: Funding Rates metric, which tracks the average funding rate across all major perpetual futures exchanges. As the analyst explains, this metric is useful in reading the prevalent market sentiment. For example, negative Funding Rates, such as the current reading of -0.001206, typically indicate the willingness of short traders to pay the longs for their positions. As such, it is evident that the market sentiment is more bearish than bullish.

There appears to be an alignment between the negative funding rates and the sell pressure supplied by the $3.4 billion expired options and breach of the $91,000 Maximum Pain Point. GugaOnChain explains that such a correlation further strengthens the narrative that the Bitcoin market could see an additional significant drop in its price.

While the long-term market direction may be well-defined, its short-term sentiment, however, reflects a more modest stance of utmost caution.  As of press time, Bitcoin is valued at about $89,250. Over the past 24 hours, the premier cryptocurrency has lost approximately 3.38% of its value, per CoinMarketCap data.

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from Tradingview

According to remarks made on CNBC’s Power Lunch, Strategy’s CEO Phong Le said the company moved quickly to calm investor fears after Bitcoin fell sharply. The firm announced a $1.44 billion US dollar reserve on Monday, raised through a stock sale.

The reserve is meant to hold enough cash to cover at least 12 months of dividend payments right away, and the company says it will expand that buffer to cover 24 months over time.

Reserve Aimed At Dividend Concerns

Based on reports, Le said the drive was largely about stopping what he called “dividend FUD.” He added that the $1.44 billion was put together in eight and a half days and, by his count, represents about 21 months’ worth of dividend obligations.

“We’re very much are a part of the crypto and Bitcoin ecosystems. Which is why we decided a couple of weeks ago to start raising capital and putting US dollars on our balance sheet to get rid of this FUD,” Le said on Friday.

This afternoon, Phong Le, CEO of @Strategy, joined @CNBC @PowerLunch to discuss how $MSTR moves with bitcoin, how our USD reserve addresses recent FUD, the shifting Overton Window, key volatility drivers, and why bitcoin’s long-term outlook remains strong. pic.twitter.com/1t5hsfov0m

— Strategy (@Strategy) December 5, 2025

The move followed growing questions about whether Strategy could meet its payout and debt commitments if its share price plunged. Company materials also highlight a new “BTC Credit” dashboard that claims the firm now holds enough assets to service dividends for more than 70 years.

Bitcoin’s Drop Tests Crypto Firms

Bitcoin’s slide has been severe. Once trading above $126,000 earlier this year, BTC fell roughly 30% from that high and hit about $88,130 on Friday, after a one-day drop near 4%.

Reports tie the decline to a wave of forced liquidations and dwindling retail interest. At the same time, money has flowed into gold, silver and some large-cap stocks, leaving crypto out of the rally.

Analysts such as Stephane Ouellette of FRNT Financial say the pullback could be a normal reset after a big run, not a sign that crypto is finished.

Short Sellers, Stock Moves, And Market Signals

Investors had been asking whether Strategy would sell Bitcoin if the stock tumbled. Le told CNBC the company would only consider selling its BTC holdings if the stock price fell below net asset value and fresh capital was unavailable.

That stance was meant to reassure holders that the firm was not planning to liquidate core assets on the first sign of trouble. Still, the recent volatility fed narratives that dividend payments and debt service might be at risk, which in turn encouraged some market participants to place bets against the company.

Company Says It Will Avoid Selling Bitcoin

Strategy’s public messaging emphasized access to capital as proof of strength. Raising $1.44 billion in a down cycle, the CEO said, was also designed to show the market that the company could still attract funding.

Based on reports, that was part of an effort to stop short sellers from piling into positions that bet on further declines. The company’s dashboard and the stated runway targets are clear signals aimed at easing investor anxiety.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Crypto firm Ripple recently announced its mission to be the one-stop shop for crypto infrastructure. This came as the firm highlighted the acquisitions it made this year in a bid to achieve this mission. 

Ripple Unveils One-Stop Shop For Digital Asset Infrastructure 

In a blog post, Ripple touted itself as the one-stop for crypto infrastructure. The firm noted that it had invested almost $4 billion into the crypto ecosystem through strategic investments and acquisitions. It added that 2025 marked its most ambitious year yet with four major acquisitions pointing toward one mission of being the one-stop infrastructure provider for moving value the way information moves today. 

Ripple stated that some acquisitions will plug directly into Ripple payments to give its customers a unified, seamless operating environment with even more capabilities and currencies. Meanwhile, others will operate independently while benefiting from shared infrastructure. The firm noted that together, these companies will bring it closer to owning the full financial plumbing behind global value movement. 

Furthermore, the company noted that businesses are operating in real time, but their financial infrastructure still isn’t. The firm believes that its unified offering gives companies the ability to bring their money management and movement up to the expectations of the digital world. It then went on to highlight how its newest acquisitions are critical to powering this change. 

Highlighting The Role Of Its Latest Acquisitions 

The firm stated that its now-closed acquisition of GTreasury marks a significant expansion into the multi-trillion-dollar corporate finance arena, a market that it noted many predict will lead the next phase of crypto adoption. The firm further remarked that through access to the global repo market via Ripple Prime and Ripple Payments’ real-time cross-border rails, corporate treasury teams can unlock idle capital, move money instantly, and open up new growth opportunities. 

Ripple then highlighted its $200 million acquisition of Rail, which it stated will make the firm’s Payments the market’s most comprehensive end-to-end stablecoin payments solution. The firm said that it is compliantly connecting the best of fiat and crypto assets so that businesses can move money faster, save costs, and build to grow. 

Ripple stated that its acquisition of Palisade broadens the range of customer use cases for custody, which is one of its central product strategies. It noted that Palisade’s “wallet-as-a-service” technology extends the company’s Custody’s inherent appeal to banks and financial institutions that carry out high-frequency transactions. 

Lastly, the payment firm highlighted its acquisition of Hidden Road, which is now Ripple Prime. It stated that this completes the liquidity and execution layer of its one-stop shop vision. The Prime offers institutional-grade prime brokerage, clearing, and financing. This enables clients to execute OTC spot trades for major crypto assets, including XRP and RLUSD. While Palisade custodies assets and Rail moves them, Ripple noted that its brokerage business ensures that they can be traded efficiently, financed responsibly, and accessed through regulated channels.

The European Commission has moved to allocate the supervision of crypto companies and their activities under the sole jurisdiction of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA).  This move will end the application of different regulatory styles in several member states operating under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation (MiCA).

ESMA’s Single Crypto Authority To Boost Competitiveness, Innovation – EC

In a Thursday announcement, the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union (EU), rolled out a series of regulatory measures aimed at creating a singular financial service market. This initiative centers around creating a competitive, innovative, and efficient financial system that offers EU citizens better options for wealth growth and business financing. 

A statement from the announcement read: 

Deeper integration of financial markets is not an end, but a means to create a single market for financial services greater than the sum of its national parts. Simplified access to capital markets reduces costs and makes the markets more appealing for investors and companies across all Member States, irrespective of size.

In particular, the EC’s new regulatory package will move the oversight of Crypto-Asset Service Providers (CASPs), among other groups of businesses to under the sole authority of the ESMA. Interestingly, the EC’s recent move comes just three months after the French, Austrian, and Italian market authorities pushed for a stronger European framework for cryptocurrencies, citing major differences in each national implementation of the MiCA regulations. 

Presently, crypto regulation across the 27 EU member states operates under MiCA, resulting in a patchwork of national approaches which the EC claims is hindering competition and effective cross-border operations. The ESMA’s singular regime aims to eliminate these discrepancies in order to provide a better integrated EU financial market. 

The EC said:

Improvements to the supervisory framework are closely linked to the removal of regulatory barriers. The package aims to address inconsistencies and complexities from fragmented national supervisory approaches, making supervision more effective and conducive to cross-border activities, while being responsive to emerging risks. 

Alongside the new singular regime, the European Commission has also expressed plans to create a friendly environment for the adoption of distributed ledger technology, e.g, blockchains, to spur innovations in the financial sector. However, all these regulatory changes still remain subject to negotiation and approval by the  European Parliament and European Council.

Crypto Market Overview

At the time of writing, the total crypto market cap is valued at $3.04 trillion, following a slight 0.25% loss in the past day. Meanwhile, total trading volume is valued at $135.47 billion.

In remarks made on December 4, US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Paul Atkins expressed an optimistic outlook for the cryptocurrency industry. Atkins emphasized the SEC’s intent to modernize its rules to facilitate an on-chain market environment, leveraging distributed ledger technology and the tokenization of financial assets.

SEC Chair Advocates For Crypto Tokenization

Atkins highlighted the transformative potential of these technologies for the capital markets. He stressed that enhancing these markets is essential for US firms and investors to maintain their leadership on a global scale. 

The chair underscored that the advancements in blockchain technology could streamline not only trading processes but also the entire issuer-investor relationship, which would enable a more efficient and transparent financial ecosystem.

Tokenization, according to Atkins, goes beyond merely changing the mechanics of trading. He pointed out that it can foster direct connections for various important functions such as proxy voting, dividend payments, and shareholder communications, all while reducing the reliance on multiple intermediaries. 

In his address, Atkins acknowledged several innovative models that deserve consideration. He noted that some companies are directly issuing equity on public distributed ledgers in the form of programmable assets. 

These assets can integrate compliance features, voting rights, and governance capabilities, allowing investors to hold securities in a digital format that promotes transparency and reduces the number of intermediaries involved.

Additionally, he mentioned that third parties are engaging in the tokenization of equities by generating on-chain security entitlements that represent ownership stakes in traditional equities. 

The emergence of synthetic exposures—tokenized products designed to reflect the performance of public equities—was also highlighted. While many of these offerings are currently being developed offshore, they showcase the international interest in US market exposure supported by distributed ledger technology.

Atkins Critiques Past SEC Strategies

However, Atkins cautioned that transitioning to on-chain capital markets entails more than just issuance. He stated that it is essential to address various stages of the securities transaction lifecycle effectively. 

For instance, if tokenized shares cannot be traded competitively in liquid on-chain environments, they risk becoming little more than conceptual assets without practical utility. 

The chair also criticized the previous SEC’s approach toward the crypto industry under the agency’s former chair Gary Gensler, which attempted to adapt to on-chain markets through an expansive redefinition of “exchange.” 

This earlier strategy enforced a broad regulatory framework that ultimately created uncertainty and stifled innovation, Atkins stated. He said that it is vital to avoid repeating such mistakes in order to stimulate innovation, investment, and job creation in the United States.

To foster a conducive environment for growth, Atkins called for compliant pathways that can enable market participants to capitalize on the unique benefits of new technologies like crypto. 

In light of this conviction, he has instructed SEC staff to explore recommendations for utilizing the agency’s exemptive authorities, permitting on-chain innovations while the Commission works toward developing long-term, effective crypto regulatory frameworks.

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com

Палата депутатов Парагвая одобрила законопроект, требующий от всех местных майнеров, а также связанных с ними компаний, подать в Министерство промышленности и торговли (MIC) заявку на регистрацию.

The cryptocurrency market experienced another wave of liquidations on Friday, with Bitcoin (BTC) prices dipping below the critical support level of $90,000. This decline followed a brief rally that had seen its price rise approximately $3,000 above this threshold earlier in the week.

Crypto Market Faces $430 Million In Liquidations 

Data from CoinGlass reveals that nearly $430 million in liquidations occurred across the crypto market over the past 24 hours, predominantly affecting leveraged long positions, which accounted for about $350 million. 

During this period, Bitcoin underwent a 3.5% retracement, with its price settling at just above $89,120—a stark 29% below its all-time high of over $126,000 reached in October.

Market expert OxNobler recently highlighted the role of both retail and institutional investors in this downturn. In a post on social media platform X, OxNobler detailed the reason behind Bitcoin’s decline: significant sell-offs by major players. 

According to the analyst, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, sold 4,000 BTC; U.S.-based Coinbase (COIN) liquidated 5,675 BTC; and traditional finance giant Fidelity sold 3,288 BTC. Additionally, market maker Wintermute offloaded 1,793 BTC. 

Notably, the analyst pointed out that Strategy, formerly MicroStrategy, which is the largest public company holder of Bitcoin with over 650,000 coins, has also sold over 3,820 coins in this same time frame.

The firm’s sell-off comes on the heels of speculation regarding Strategy’s potential to liquidate some of its holdings due to the substantial losses affecting its financial performance amid declining Bitcoin prices. 

When Strategy CEO Phong Le was questioned about the possibility of selling off Bitcoin, he acknowledged that while the firm’s former CEO, Michael Saylor, has consistently opposed selling, circumstances may change if the company’s stock trades below the net value of its Bitcoin holdings, which aligns with the recent actions taken by the firm.

Coinbase Analysts Predict December Recovery 

Interestingly, while these institutional sell-offs have contributed to the current market dip, Coinbase’s institutional division has projected a potential recovery for the crypto market in December, citing improving liquidity, a 92% probability of the Federal Reserve (Fed) cutting rates, and supportive macroeconomic conditions.

Analysts have pointed out several reasons for optimism, including the recovery of liquidity, the resilience of the “AI bubble,” and the attractiveness of short US dollar trades at current levels. 

However, OxNobler warned that the situation may not be so straightforward. Alongside the activities of major institutions, he noted that BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, had recently sold $130 million worth of Bitcoin and Ethereum (ETH).

Furthermore, Vitalik Buterin, one of Ethereum’s co-founders, seems to have resumed selling Ethereum, with millions of ETH being moved from the foundation’s wallet through Gnosis Safe.

Ultimately, OxNobler asserts that these institutional activities may have a hand in manipulating crypto prices and preventing them from climbing to higher levels and key resistance points. 

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com